What 'sup, Bones?
by TFALokiwriter
Summary: A transporter malfunction. The one where Spock and Kirk did not make it to the transporter room when returning from a mission. And then they do make it, two years late. That's where our little story begins.
1. Chapter 1

_NOTES - Star Trek: Into Darkness_ **never** ,ever, happened.

* * *

"I lost them." Scotty said.

Those were the three words McCoy never wanted to hear in the same sentence from Scotty.

 _Jim_.

 _Spock_.

"How can you lose patterns?" McCoy asked.

"Aye, it is incredibly rare but it happens." Scotty said.

"Try again." McCoy said.

"Doctor. . . " Scotty said, looking over toward McCoy.

"Please." McCoy said, as Scotty saw the desperate look in the man's eyes.

They all did not want to believe they just lost their captain and first officer.

"All right." Scotty relented.

* * *

McCoy should have gone with them. Why did he not go? The planet had inhabitants that accepted everyone to be partially naked. _Everyone_. Everyone for that matter: anyone who stepped foot onto their soil. McCoy was not comfortable about being naked around everyone. Nurse Chapel and Nyota went with the landing party, they had returned, and the two men never came back. He should have gone with them! He should have known this would have happened.

 _Damn it, Jim!_

 _Damn you, pointy eared hobgoblin!_

The first day afterwards, when it was confirmed, the doctor locked himself into his quarters and grieved. He didn't want to believe their atoms were spread all over the galaxy! McCoy should have died before they did. Over his grave that they die before him. HOW DARE THEY DO THAT! He was lost in his thoughts, one hand on his scotch, on the table, and his eyes blood shot. He swore they would be the death of him. Taking care of a emotionless denial Vulcan and a infant who was given the chair too early.

They were too young to go.

 **Knock**. **Knock**. **Knock**.

"Go away." It came out as a drunken shout in-between the sobs.

"It is me, Uhura." Nyota said.

"Doors unlock," McCoy said. "Password: two stupid idiots."

"Denied." The computer replied.

McCoy was trembling as tears came strolling down his cheeks.

"Spock and Jim." McCoy said, with a broken heart.

With a soft click, the doors opened.

"McCoy . . ." Nyota came into the dark room.

"I should have gone with them!" McCoy said, as Nyota placed one hand on his shoulder. "I should have gone-"

Nyota grabbed the doctor into a hug letting him cry into her shoulders as she pat his back and cried as well. They were grieving for the loss of people close to them. Both Spock and Kirk. She had said something she didn't mean to Spock before he went to his duty on the bridge and it broke her heart she couldn't rectify it with him. The bottle had tipped over landing on its side on the table. Nyota stroked the backside of his head as the doctor grieved with her. Tears came down Nyota's cheek.

* * *

Two years passed without Kirk and Spock. Winona and Sarek, simultaneously, had denied any awakenings or funeral at least until it has been ten years and then they would be assured that their beloved ones were truly beyond return to the land of the living. Not even a memorial. McCoy suspected they were seeing each other. Sulu captained the _Enterprise_ for that length of time. Chekov, at one point, last year had broke down and cried after accidentally calling a science officer 'Spock'. Then he was reminded that Spock was not on the ship by the science officer.

The science officer was Carol Marcus.

Dwayin Wright was the first officer.

Some days McCoy would find himself wishing the two would come back.

But they never will.

They were _dead_.

 _"We will be right back, Bones." Kirk had said, with Spock by his side_.

 _"Long as you two are around, I have to worry that you will come back hurt or drunk!" McCoy had said._

 _"That is logical but I will make sure the captain does not get in over his head." Spock had said._

 _"Let's go, Spock!" Kirk patted the side of Spock's shoulder then went out the doors of dimly lit med bay and Spock followed suit._

 _"You better!" McCoy had shouted back to the Vulcan._

McCoy closed his eyes then opened them to the pristine clean med bay that was lighted up.

There were days when McCoy considered suicide to end the pain he was in, emotionally, that hadn't quite left since the loss of the two people in his life.

 _"Illogical_."

It was strange to hear the voice of Spock whenever he thought of it. McCoy went on auto-pilot for the rest of the two years. He'll be damned if he were being haunted by the most unluckiest men in the entire universe. McCoy walked to the biobed where his patient Captain Sulu was seated recovering from a nasty sting. McCoy dealt with the grief, the emotional pain, and the sorrow by not being there all completely. Equally to someone shutting themselves off.

"May I return to my duties?" Sulu asked.

Totally a question Spock would ask.

If only Spock were here.

"Captain, I do not believe your legs have regain movement in the last fifteen minutes," McCoy said. "Wright is perfectly capable of mannin' the bridge while you rest."

"What about my plants in the botany room?" Sulu asked.

"Your husband is perfectly capable of waterin' them," McCoy replied. "Not like they need your constant attention while your legs are numb and your liver is still recoverin'. If you stood up, you will be pukin'." Which was absolutely true. "If you ask me to play chess with you then god help you."

Sulu laughed.

"All right, McCoy." Sulu said.

Wright was on the bridge in the captain's chair. Nyota was with Scotty watching a movie from the 21st century in her quarters, Chekov was practicing fencing with Lieutenant Einstein, and Carol was at the lab doing what she did best in science: exploring and making. She fit the role like a glove. She could never replace Spock. Ever. Like Wright replacing Spock. They never could fill the void left in the bridge. Nor the one in his heart. Heart wrenching and painful. Sometimes when McCoy came on the bridge he would swear he saw Spock looming over Carol's shoulder with hands behind his back. Nerdy like, stalker'ish, and quizzical at best. When he would blink Spock would be gone.

McCoy had become skilled at fighting back tears whenever he saw this. McCoy swore he would get off this ship and leave it after they returned to Earth so everyone else could be reassigned after the long mission in space. Nyota was eying the rank of commander and so was Scotty. Chekov was eying the rank of Lieutenant. Nurse Chapel's rank would surely go up to Commander. Everyone was going to leave the _Enterprise_. A place where they forged memories with the two former senior officers. A ensign came in with a lieutenant who had suffered an injury with rock climbing in the holodeck.

"Get him on the biobed." McCoy said.

* * *

If one were to commit suicide on a starship or on Earth, it would be by a phaser. That is common sense. Suicide evolved from guns to phasers. When McCoy got to the holodeck, he saw that there were looks of disgust and horror from the holographic individuals. The holodeck had projected the appropriate attire of the era it was installed to be in. It pained McCoy that someone had committed the most sinful act on this ship.

"End program." McCoy said.

The thirty-forth suicide on the _Enterprise_ in four years. People started dropping like flies after Spock and Kirk vanished two years ago. They probably realized what hell they were under and what hell they were in. McCoy figured that is why most of them did it asides to the typical suicide notes that read ' _I am sorry. I can't do it anymore_ '. Sulu, thankfully, didn't take it personally. McCoy envied him for keeping up his relaxed, friendly, but otherwise serious captain attitude up.

The deck turned black with yellow lines dotting the surface. Behind him came nurses and a gurney. This was ensign Richard Garros. The holodeck had been set to unjustified levels that provided no safety to the user who was using it. He had fallen from a cliff. McCoy loomed over a letter that hadn't been deleted left on the ground. He picked it up where he could see the cursive writing that indicated his girlfriend had broken up with him and went on a doomed shuttle. McCoy pitied the man. His eyes briefly closed.

It could have been him.

" _Illogical, Doctor McCoy._ "

Now committing suicide by the holodeck was unheard of.

"Doctor." Nurse Chapel said, drawing the man's attention.

McCoy missed Spock and Kirk like hell.

* * *

Carol could feel the hair on the back of her neck raise up.

"Stop looking over my shoulder, Sam." Carol said.

There was a cold sigh.

"What the hell?" Carol looked over from her science station only to see that no one was there save for Captain Sulu in his chair speaking with Commander Wright.

It spooked Carol.

It had been happening over two years, and this time she had finally addressed it. It was like someone was here but not visible. It was like there as a ghost haunting the Enterprise bridge. She shook her head turning away back toward her station. She saw the screen for the console had been changed and it was scientifically incorrect. EMF readings. She did not have the EMF setting on. But before her eyes there were words being spelled out. These letters formed out: **HELLO**.

She blinked.

It now read: **YOU ARE REDUNDANT.**

Carol jumped up with a scream.

"Miss Marcus, what is it?" Sulu asked.

Carol had a white face.

"Sir," Carol said, with a straight face. "My console is being possessed."

"Possessed?" Wright said. "But that is impossible." He shared a glance with Sulu then back toward Carol. "That is the stuff of fiction."

"See for yourself." Carol said, rubbing her shoulders feeling a cold chill.

Sulu and Wright came over to investigate.

The console had returned to normal with a screen that had scientific related tools

"Captain?" Wright looked over toward Sulu with a perplexed facial expression.

Sulu looked up from the console toward Carol.

"Tell us, what kind of possession are you talking about?" Sulu said.

"It said ' _Hello_ '," Carol said. "And then ' _You are redundant_ '."

There was a look of hope on Sulu's face then he went over to the chair and pressed a button.

"Mr Scott." Sulu said.

"Scott here." Scotty's voice came over.

"Tell me the recent problems the transporter has been experiencing." Sulu said.

"Captain?" Wright asked, confused.

Sulu looked up.

"I have a theory." Sulu said.

"Power shortages, typical malfunctions, attempts to boot up and fails," Scotty said. "But I believe this Transporter is out of luck. She has no hope."

"Maybe there is hope. . . Mr Scott," Sulu said. "Meet me in the transporter room. Sulu out."

"What kind of theory is it?" Wright asked.

"Miss Marcus," Sulu said. "Tell me all the irregular and unnatural experiences you had over the past two years." He looked over toward a puzzled Wright. "I believe we have two people in the process of beaming."

* * *

" _Doctor McCoy, please report to the transporter roo_ m."

Which was sudden.

"Another mission?" McCoy thought out loud. "God help me Sulu doesn't lose a leg!"

McCoy walked into the transporter room to see a shiny eyed Scotty beaming down toward the console, his hands flying, which was unusual. Sulu was standing by with Commander Wright by his side. The doors closed behind McCoy. Sulu had a smile on his face. Wright had a otherwise unsure but matter in fact one that was dipped in disbelief. There was no security officers in the room. Which tipped off McCoy that they are either picking up some refugees or beaming someone up.

"I got them!" Scotty said. "I found them! I found them! I FOUND THEM!"

Scotty was gawking at the screen while pointing one hand on the LED surface.

"I knew it." Sulu said.

"Knew what?" McCoy said

"It was an accident, freak one," Scotty said. "They took the lon' way here."

"Do you think you can speed the rate of travel with their pattern to normalcy?" Sulu said.

"Ay, believe I can." Scotty said.

"Someone is travelin' the speed of light to the transporter room through the beaming process?" McCoy said.

"That is correct." Sulu said, with a nod.

"Someone must be mad to do that." McCoy said.

"I never use the speed of light option," Scotty said. "Must have hit the wrong button."

There was a flash of golden light from the transporter. They all looked up, bracing for the worst, only to see two men shivering covered by what was apparently star fleet blankets. McCoy stepped forward with his eyes widened. Spock was standing straight unlike Kirk (who was trembling) adjusting his eyes to the scenery. Kirk's blue eyes stood out staring into the small group and the young blonde man let out a smile. Spock had his usual calm, collected demeanor. Spock was covered all over in water much like Kirk.

"The planet did not have a wet environment," Spock said. "This is illogical."

"What 'sup, Bones?" Kirk asked, in between his shivering.

There were tears coming at the corners of McCoy's eyes.

" _Jim_! _Spock_!" Bones grabbed them both into a into a hug making them fall backwards to the pad with a thump.

"Easy there, cowboy!" Kirk said, with a laugh.

* * *

"We were . . . what?" Kirk said.

"In the transporter for two years traveling at the rate of light," Sulu explained. "It only ocurred to me that you were still in it when Mr Spock left a message on the science station and frightened Miss Marcus." Spock was absorbing this information raising an eyebrow. "A message such as 'you are a redundant' is very telling. You should thank Spock for not being stuck in the transporter for all eternity."

"But you would have discovered us, anyway, if not for Spock's intervention?" Kirk said.

"I have no memory of such a event." Spock said, his left eyebrow twitching.

"No." Scotty said, sheepishly.

Kirk grew a long face.

"Ever?" Kirk said.

"Ever," Scotty said. "At least the Transporter is working right."

Bones applied a hypospray to the side of Kirk's neck.

"So, who here has been captaining the ship?" Kirk asked.

"I have." Sulu said.

Kirk let out a smile.

"Good job not getting her destroyed." Kirk said.

"Well, there was this one time-" Wright started.

"Wright, don't ruin the moment!" McCoy barked, hypoing Spock.

" _Nearly_?" Kirk cocked up a eyebrow.

"A week ago." Sulu said.

"Impressive." Kirk said.

"Kaptain Sulu to the bridge," Came Chekov's voice. "We have a little problem with the Klingons."

"You can handle this, captain," Kirk said. "You have done a good job so far."

* * *

"Miss Marcus?"

Carol turned away from the lunch on the table to see the Vulcan with brown eyes staring down upon her holding a tray with a steam coming off the rounded edges of the bowl. Carol could only guess that he had Plomeek soup, a Vulcan specialty, sitting on the tray. It had been a day since the unexpected return of former Captain Kirk and former Commander Spock. Kirk was playing tennis with Commander Wright in the 'out doors entertainment deck'.

"Mr Spock." Carol said.

"May I sit down with you?" Spock asked.

"Why yes, of course." Carol said.

Spock sat down alongside her.

"I would like to apologize for the actions of my katra," Spock said. "It was rude and unacceptable."

"Your katra?" Carol raised an eyebrow. "What is that?"

"Vulcan terminology for soul." Spock said.

Carol lowered her eyebrow, poking her fork at the salad.

"That is interesting." Carol said.

Spock nodded.

"Tell me. . . what else did I do to you?" Spock requested.

"You were over my shoulder, constantly." Carol said.

"I must have believed then I was still alive." Spock said.

"I annoyed you." Carol said.

"Annoyed is a emotion," Spock said. "My katra self must have simply been restrained against doing what was on his mind then. Complexed as to why everyone was ignoring me."

"So you do say you were annoyed." Carol said.

"Annoyed is a emotion." Spock said.

Carol smiled.

"Yes," Carol said. "Keep telling yourself that."

Carol took a bite of her salad.

* * *

"I have an admission to make." Came a familiar voice from above.

McCoy looked up from the padd to see the Vulcan dressed all in black, almost as though he was attending a funeral, save for his drilled focused eyes on him complete with intent. This was two days after the return of Spock and Kirk aboard the _Enterprise_. McCoy's heart could have sung with glee at the sight of Spock. Those brown eyes aimed directly at McCoy.

"What is it now?" McCoy asked, putting the padd down.

"I lied." Spock said.

McCoy raised an eyebrow

"About what?" McCoy asked.

"Not having complete control of my katra." Spock said.

McCoy smirked, lowering his eyebrow.

"Ah, Spock Prime told me the whole Katra story." McCoy said.

Spock put his hands on the table then leaned forward.

"Leonard, if you consider suicide as a outlet to end your pain due the loss of Jim and I at any point in history: it will only affect your daughter and those around you," Spock said. Thankfully they were in McCoy's office, a separate room from the med bay, quite alone. The door was locked, that McCoy had to be sure of because Spock wouldn't just address _this_ topic in a unlocked room. "I am well aware that the suicide rate took a hike after our 'initial suspension' in the transporter. I could not read your mind but read your face was illogically . . . easy. Your face, regarding the subject, says it all. When the idea crosses your mind, you have a facial expression. A very distinctive one I have seen in the past. I have seen this expression before on a young Vulcan during my days at Vulcan middle school. It was illogical to take her life, and if you do take your live because we die, then you will hurt more people and logically someone very close to you will commit suicide. Suicide is illogical no matter how promising the result is, you will be stuck in the land of the living as a ghost. At least some of the stories I read about earth bound indicates so. So as a friend: **do**. **not**. **ever**. **consider**. **it**."

McCoy stared at Spock in a mix of shock, realization, and disbelief.

"So that was you?" McCoy asked.

Spock stared at the doctor.

"Whispering 'illogical' in your ear," Spock said. "Affirmative."

"And Jim?" McCoy asked.

"He was . . . unfortunately, did not share the freedom I had being aware and able to move," Spock said, taking his hands off the table. "For Jim, when he appeared on the transporter pad, it had been the same day. Same minute. Same twilisecond. Same year. Same month. Same stardate." The Vulcan had his arms behind his back walking over to the side. "It was illogical for security officer Jeremy Costwell to send himself directly into fire circumventing all logical routes." McCoy stood up. "He did not die by accident, that was suicide, and I saw the look on his face. Jim had known him for two years, three months, and four days. He was lucky to have lasted for two years as a red shirt."

"You. . . But . . . He saved us!" McCoy said.

"That was a smoke screen, doctor," Spock said. "Mr Costwell was the first to go by his own accord."

McCoy walked to the side of his desk.

"I thought you were dead, Spock." McCoy said, letting the phrase linger in the air.

"As your friend, I took the time to alert Nyota of your grief the first day." Spock said.

"How?" McCoy asked.

"Sending Nyota a private message that you wished to speak with her." Spock said.

"You were dead for two years, Spock!" McCoy said. "To everyone, you were. I was in denial you were gone. It felt odd that I wasn't arguin' with a certain pointy eared Vulcan regardin' genetics on a cow or a god awful deformed human child," McCoy had a flail of his hand. "And patchin' you two up, even when you were at death's door, that could do a number on a man. What did you expect I do? Grow a flower collection? Devote my life to logic?"

"That would be desirable." Spock said.

"I used to think you were still alive, Jim and you," McCoy said. "And I hated myself for not goin' with the two of you." He came over to the window his arms folded. "Six months afterwards, hell you might have been there for all I know, I attempted to make a cure for a poison that was killin' Sulu. Thought I saw you, distraught, reachin' out to me." McCoy shook his head. "And then my world cut to black. That's when I finally came to some closure. That you were dead. But still there."

"I _was_ there." Spock said.

"But you were a ghost." McCoy said.

"Logically, yes, that I was." Spock was now by his side.

"Uhura and Scotty, I never figured they would get together," McCoy said. "He is devoted to the Enterprise more than Jim ever was."

"I have learned love tends to triumph everything," Spock said. "I may have had a part in their connection."

McCoy looked over with a look of disbelief toward Spock.

"You wanted her to move on when you were still alive." McCoy said.

"Technically, I was dead." Spock reminded McCoy.

"You were a livin' spirit, damn it!" McCoy said.

"It was logical to help Nyota move forward," Spock said. "I could only do so much when being bound to the ship and unable to help on the field. I put Nyota's needs above my own."

McCoy was silent, at first, turning his head away.

"How did you do it?" McCoy asked.

"It was relatively easy." Spock said.

"I mean breakin' up with a woman who can stand your emotionless practice and has been to hell with you," McCoy said. "I mean, you were a damn lucky man."

"There are more fish in the sea." Spock said.

"Right, right, right," McCoy said, shaking his hand. "She couldn't just devote her life to grievin' over you."

"That is logical." Spock said. said.

"So you broke up with her from beyond the grave." McCoy said.

"I fabricated a fake instant message that was supposed to be sent prior to our departure. Some humans call it . . ." Spock paused. "Tweets."

McCoy looked over toward Spock with a raised eyebrow.

"You broke up with Uhura over a _tweet_?" McCoy asked.

"Affirmative," Spock said. "I did it for her well being. As for the rest, Jim would have wanted you to be alive. I did what he would have wanted."

"Well, he is alive," McCoy said, lowering his eyebrow. "And Spock, you can call me Bones."

"Did you know that in the 19th century there was a nickname for battlefield doctors being 'Old Sawbones'," Spock said. "This name originated during the American civil war when amputations were common in battlefield hospitals."

"Actually," McCoy said. "I didn't."

"During the time that I was suspended in the transporter: I was going through the logical means of alerting everyone," Spock explained. "At one point I tried to convey what had happened. However, the message did not reach Captain Sulu as Commander Wright discarded the message and forgot it. I am not pointing fingers or making accusations, but . . . it seemed very odd and disturbing to me that he did not check if the message was a glitch."

"What did he do with it?" McCoy asked.

"He deleted it." Spock said.

"Probably thought it was a prank." McCoy said.

"I wrote: _the captain and I are alive_." Spock said.

McCoy frowned.

"Spock, that is really vague, don't you know that?" McCoy asked.

"I sent another message." Spock said.

"To whom?" McCoy asked.

"Wright," Spock said. "He eventually made his inbox private six months, three days, four hours, ten minutes, and forty-two seconds ago."

"So you sent a series of vague messages to the poor man?" McCoy asked.

"I wasn't vague at the last. I simply said: _Captain Kirk and Commander Spock are stuck in the transporter room_. It occurred to me after he deleted it he was deliberately . . ." Spock paused. "Doing it. I attempted to send a message directly to Sulu only to discover. . . his was also made private. You were in auto-pilot, by then,and you rarely read your inbox. When not attempting to gain attention, I was at my station looking at the readings. I must complain about one certain fact is that Carol Marcus rounds off-"

McCoy brought the Vulcan into a kiss, catching Spock off guard, and he ended it a minute later.

"Fascinating." Spock said, unphased by the kiss with his eyes dilated.

"Spock," McCoy said. "Losing you two was like losing two halves of my self."

"You had a void in your heart." Spock said, addressing what McCoy had implied.

"Yes, Spock," McCoy said, with a nod. "And I am afraid of losing the two of you again."

Spock placed one hand on the side of McCoy's face.

"Illogical," Spock said. "You will never lose us." The Vulcan brought the human into the kiss and his hands traveled to the backside of the doctor. Their foreheads touched once the Vulcan had broken the kissing for the second time in the row. "Bones . . . There is a eternal bond between minds. A Vulcan bond. _T'hy'la_. A word that encompasses the definition of what we are in three levels. Lovers. Brothers. And friends. It is a telepathic connection-"

"No." McCoy placed one finger on Spock's lips.

Spock appeared to be genuinely surprised as the doctor took his finger off the Vulcan's lips.

"But I have not explained." Spock said.

"I do not want you to be in pain when I die, darlin'," McCoy said. "Or me to be in pain when you die." McCoy felt along the cheek of the Vulcan. "I know Vulcans outlive us."

"As you remind me constantly," Spock said. "I am half human."

"That is the problem, Spock," McCoy said, feeling a tear coming down his cheek. "One of us will die."

"Long as I have you," Spock said, taking the hand of McCoy. Spock could feel delight from the simple touch of the man's hand. "I will live for centuries."

"But what about me?" McCoy asked. "I can't give up savin' people."

"That isn't optional," Spock said. "You cannot give up saving people. It is illogical for a doctor _not_ to save the lives of others. Your field is just as dangerous as what Jim and I do, running out saving other civilizations, and often times a entire planet. You do not necessary have to give up your occupation. We could be. . . married. . . by the earthly ways. If you are that concerned the well being of us."

"We need to give this time,Spock," McCoy said. "And see if it survives the hell we go through."

Spock nodded as their hands came down together to their sides.

"You wish to take it slow," Spock said. "I understand your desire."

"And let's get this clear between us," McCoy said, letting go of Spock's hand. He pointed it directly at Spock's chest. "You are not Vulcanizin' me!"

Spock raised an arched eyebrow.

"Who says I am going to Vulcanize you?" Spock asked.

"You Vulcanized Uhura," McCoy said. "I do not want to find myself talkin' like you in the next ten years."

"That will be hard to do as you all ready have done so," Spock said, as a frown appeared on the younger man's face. "Bones."

"Shut up and kiss me, you over grown lizard!" McCoy brought the Vulcan into a passionate kiss.

Spock broke the kiss briefly.

"I resent that." Spock said, briefly.

"And if I called you a overgrown werewolf?" McCoy asked.

Spock did not hesitate.

"Over grown lizard sounds preferable." Spock remarked.

McCoy smiled as his hands slid down the Vulcan's side where his hands came to the Vulcan's thigh feeling the edges of the black regulation pants. Spock returned the kiss with the doctor. Thankfully, the nurses could take care of the injured patients from the day to day regular activities. The two became undressed. But mostly it was McCoy's doing getting Spock undressed. Spock saw it as logical, since his partner was doing it to him, that he returned the favor.


	2. Chapter 2

"I can't believe you are alive, kid!"

Kirk stared at the screen seeing Pike had more gray hair then he had before.

"Good to see you too, admiral," Kirk said. "So what has been up back on Earth?"

"Winona married Sarek three months ago." Pike said.

"What?" Kirk asked.

That would make Kirk and Spock step-brothers!

 _STEP._ _BROTHERS_.

Kirk is soo going to love reminding Spock that.

"It surprised the hell out of me. I never expected they get together." Pike said.

"Interesting. . . I never pictured my mom to be the humanizing type." Kirk said.

"It makes sense on some level," Pike remarked. "They were both stubborn that you two were not dead."

"Good 'ol mom." Kirk said, with a laugh.

"And by the way . . . I am sorry that you have to hear this," Pike's face turned pale. "Your brother is dead. His three sons and wife survived."

* * *

Equally, Spock and McCoy were glowing the next day. Turns out Kirk's belongings were sent to Earth where they currently remain in his old room much to his delight. The _Enterprise_ was heading to a nearby starbase that was three days away nothing big. Kirk was not wearing civilian ware but dark clothes. Rumors started to fly once the two went into the cafeteria together.

"Hey, 'yo Spock!" Kirk shouted approaching the Vulcan who was at the botany lab.

It was illogical to jump an inch above the floor.

Spock would never admit that Kirk scared him.

"That is incorrect English." Spock said, with a slap to the back by Kirk.

The plants purred at the presence of Spock.

And some plants had mixed reactions toward Kirk.

"We are brothers!" Kirk announced, throwing his hands out in the air.

Spock raised an eyebrow turning away from a lion plant looking over to the bright human male.

"Step brooooothheeeeeeeeeers!" Kirk sang.

"Sarek married your mother?" Spock said.

"It appears so," Kirk said. "And oh, oh, oh, oh, we are big brothers!" Spock's eyebrow even went up further. "I don't know about you but mini you's running around the house is hilarious." Spock's eyebrow lowered. "Triplets." There was a look of bewilderment on the Vulcan's face. "Three!"

"That is however beyond the realms of logic." Spock said.

"Two boys and one girl," Kirk said. "I don't know about you but I am so going to meet them when we get to the starbase."

"They are already at the starbase?" Spock asked.

"Yes," Kirk said. "It so happens they are on vacation from some of 'Sarek's Ambassador duties' with Steven, Sporn, and T'Flen. What is up with Vulcans and the five letter names for the males? How many Spock's in the past were there? Did they number their Spock's because there were so many running around-"

" _Jim_." Spock said, exasperatedly.

"They musta' had middle names," Kirk went on. "So many Spock's to think about." Jim poked at the leaf of a plant that had a puffy ball at the middle where it made a purring sound. The plant was beautiful. Spock looked over toward Kirk holding the watering can in one hand. "You know, our parents refused any sort of memorials or funerals or anything for our lanua. It hits me. Is that what I am going to be remembered by?"

"It is only logical." Spock said.

Kirk rolled his shoulders.

"Unnecessary memorials?" Kirk stood upright. "Ships being named? Plagues? The poster boy who died? I don't like being the poster boy. Period. Spock Prime told me that if I wanted to be proud of myself is to make my own destiny, said it was something any Kirk would do." He came to the edge of the table. "I don't even know if being a captain of a starship is my second best destiny. Just being told by Pike. It reminds me why I even joined Star Fleet. To challenge other people's perception on me being my father's son."

"You have done quite the work." Spock said.

"I am thinking of leaving Star Fleet and making my own impression in the galaxy," Kirk said, earning a raised eyebrow. "My father's sacrifice still hangs in the air. Over my shoulders. It is not fair for them to compare me to him. It is just not fair."

"You found yourself on the bridge, many, many times," Spock said. "Jim, you are troubling me with your rationality."

Kirk looked over toward Spock with _that_ look in his eyes.

"Troubling you?" The sad look turned into a bemused one. "I trouble people. That's in my nature."

"Negative," Spock said. "You are a person capable of doing great things."

"You compared me to my father." Kirk said.

"It was only once, and I seem to remember it was for the panel." Spock said, approaching the young man.

"Well, you did a good job stabbing into a man's heart." Kirk felt along the leaf of another plant where the thorns started to come out of the branches.

"That was for cheating not the captain's chair," Spock said. "Sometimes you have to break a stallion to make them great."

Kirk raised an eyebrow looking up toward Spock.

"Have you been talking to Bones a lot?" Kirk asked.

"Affirmative." Spock approached.

"You know, when I die, I know I am going to die alone," Kirk said. "I do not need memorials."

Spock took the man by his shoulders.

"Jim, I understand your depression," Spock said. "But I believe what you are thinking of is illogical. You have to keep your ground. Your mother needs you. After all, who will be there to take care of the children when Sarek and she are gone? You will do more by living and making your father proud, no matter how much you are illogical and irrationally make decisions, a father's love is greater than the scorn of those around you."

Kirk looked back up toward Spock with a little smile.

"Gee,Spock," Kirk said. "I never pictured you to be a ray of sunshine."

Kirk fell against the Vulcan's chest and his eyes closed as though he had fallen asleep.

"Jim?" Spock placed one hand on the man's neck for a faint pulse.

Spock looked down to see the shape of a familiar bite mark on Kirk's hand that belonged to a animal inhabitant on a planet they had last visited.

* * *

"I cannot believe HE NEVER TOLD US HE WAS BITTEN!" McCoy said, pacing back and forth in front of the biobed with his hands heated.

"Doctor McCoy-" Spock was cut off by McCoy.

"That infant is lucky you were there! If he hadn't visited Botany and instead been cooped up in his room ridin' out the fever he had, Jim would have been dead by now!" McCoy said.

"I believe Jim was unaware the animal was poisonous. There was a period of time when he was gone with the princess which was exactly ten minutes and thirty-two seconds," Spock said. "I was unaware of any activity he had with her. Perhaps he can enlighten us once he gains consciousness what he was doing."

McCoy sighed.

"Spock, you should go get some rest," McCoy said. "You have been up longer than you should be."

"Jim concerns me." Spock said.

"He does that to everyone." McCoy said.

"You do not understand," Spock said. "He was depressed."

McCoy looked up.

"Well," McCoy said. "That is new. Jim is never depressed. Maybe he got his head in his ass." McCoy shook his head. "Jim bein' depressed is unlike him. He is the kind of kid who uplifts women's spirits, encourages them, likes them, and then moves on after fallin' head over heels for them." McCoy took Spock's shoulder. "Go to your temporary assigned quarters. I'll be with the infant until he wakes up. He is lucky you were there."

"I believe a moment like this would deserve a: _damn it, Jim_." Spock remarked.

"Don't spoil the moment, Spock." McCoy said, with a grunt letting go of the Vulcan's shoulder.

"I was not intending to." Spock said.

"Go to bed." McCoy said.

"Good night, _Ashayam_." Spock said.

"Let me guess, that is darlin' for Vulcan." McCoy said.

Spock raised an eyebrow at first but then he lowered it.

"Affirmative." Spock turned away and walked his way out of the med bay.

"I am a fast learner, you have been warned!" McCoy shouted.

The doors closed behind the Vulcan. McCoy sat down next to the unconscious man and he let his eyes close briefly then he reopened them keeping an eye out for the young man. What would happen to Kirk if he was the one who died? It would split the kid in two, that McCoy was sure. It would leave Spock in pain. The crew would be left in mourning. He was the man who put them back together when death spit back them back out. McCoy watched the young man's chest rise up and down. Surely, a reminder that Kirk was still there and so was Spock. They weren't going anywhere for the time being.

* * *

"If I do not come back-" Sulu started to say.

"Don't say that, captain, you are comin' back!" McCoy said.

"You know who to put in charge." Sulu finished.

"Captain, if you are goin' to the belly of the beast, then I have to go with you!" McCoy argued back as Sulu went into the transporter room and Dwight stood in the way of the doctor. "That is suicide goin' down to a unmapped Class M planet without a doctor there!" McCoy shook his hand. "Let me through, Mr Right-all-the-time."

"You will not be in the way of the Romulan Empire's plans." Wright said.

Wright delivered a blow to McCoy into the chest knocking him down to the floor catching his breath.

"Romulan. . ." McCoy said, looking up watching Wright's figure stroll into the transporter room.

Great.

He did not expect Wright to be a Romulan.

The doors closed.

"No!" McCoy shouted.

* * *

The first thing that awoke Kirk was the hiss of a hypospray and a familiar grumpy old face along with a calm face looking right over him. He could see there being a shade of red. The ship was under attack. He bolted right up processing what he had last recalled. He had been in the botany room, talking with Spock, feeling a fever, his vision getting blurry, and the sight of color becoming brighter. One moment he was crystal clear talking with Spock and the next he was not-that-well. But now? His vision was crystal clear. He remembered waking up, hours ago, then acting unlike himself which made Bones hypo him.

Speaking of which, why was he acting unlike himself?

"What happened?" Kirk asked.

"I believe Mr Right-ass is a Romulan Agent intendin' to start a damn war with Star Fleet and the Klingons!" McCoy said. "The landin' party was taken by those Klingons!"

Kirk briefly closed his eyes.

The memories that Spock Prime had deposited returned to Kirk's mind. At least the memories that had resulted from the one and only mind meld shared between the two. The memories of seeing a larger classed starship entitled the _Enterprise_ flying off into space shooting at Romulan air crafts, tearing through hell, and it looked nothing like a _Enterprise_. It was HUGE. Larger. Wider. Equipped with more weapons than it had needed were several, but consistent, versions of the _Enterprise_ that came before his memory. The last version showed a war fit starship.

Not explorer.

Not eye-viewer-friendly.

"It makes sense why he ignored my messages." Spock said.

"His intention to start a war starting from two year ago?" McCoy said. "Hell,he wasn't on the _Enterprise_ when you two vanished."

"Perhaps it wasn't expected but advantage to be taken of." Spock said.

"And here I thought Wright was a respectable man." McCoy said, shaking his head.

Spock looked over toward Kirk.

"And since you two are the highest rankin' officers on this ship, you two, OFF TO THE BRIDGE!" McCoy said.

There was a faint memory of a Klingon with a star fleet symbol on the bridge serving with humans. Humans. Klingons. Working together. Peacefully, and with harmony. There was the image of a android with golden skin and yellow eyes complete by black hair standing by the side of a bald man in Romulan attire. It was obvious the man was a android. Too obvious.

"Jim?" Spock asked.

Kirk opened his eyes.

"We have to stop this war," Kirk said. "It can not play out like this."

 _If we don't_ , Kirk thought, _Star Fleet will become weaponized_.


	3. Chapter 3

"My name is Dwayin Wright," Wright introduced himself. "Star Fleet assigned me here. I am your first officer."

"Welcome aboard the ship, commander." Sulu said, with a calm and easy going smile.

McCoy was standing there with his arms folded, a sadness about his eyes, and his mood was dark. Sulu let go of the commander's hand allowing him to walk off the transporter pad with his luggage right behind him. Nyota was by the side of Scotty, pretty faced, and bright. She was in a red uniform lacking sleeves but did have the standard issue design of the dress.

"This is Lieutenant Nyota Uhura," Sulu said, gesturing over toward Nyota. "Our communications officer."

Wright shook the hand of Nyota.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Uhura." Wright said.

It had been two weeks since the loss of Captain Kirk and Commander Spock.

"You too, Commander." Nyota said, shaking his hand.

They stopped shaking hands.

"And this is Doctor Leonard McCoy," Sulu said. "Chief Medical Officer."

"Nice to meet you." McCoy half grumbled and half said, not even bothering to reach his hand out.

"And this is our recently assigned science officer, Carol Marcus." Sulu said.

"Nice to meet you," Carol said with a smile. She could feel his hand was unusually cool. "Mr Wright."

"My pleasure." Wright said.

"And I am Mr Scott," Scotty said. "Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott."

"Nice to meet you, too." Wright said.

* * *

There was a message that landed in his inbox.

Two days after his arrival to the _Enterprise_.

 _The captain and I are alive_.

Wright thought back to the loss that the crew of the _Enterprise_ suffered. Then he thought back to his main and upheld mission. To bring war to the Klingons that united the Romulan Empire with them to fight against the federation as a common enemy. It was his mission. They needed a inside rat to do the dirty work by getting him assigned to the one and only legendary stickler USS _Enterprise_. He knew this message was from the former commander Spock.

"Sorry," Wright apologized. "But the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

Wright hit delete.

"Or the one." Wright added, turning back toward the computer screen where his handler Tauvle was frowning right back at him.

"Have you made your assimilation?" Tauvle asked.

"Affirmative," Wright said. "They all believe I am a average day pacifist from Digsville, Idaho. A human." He took of the enlarged set of ears placing them to the side revealing his pointy ears and then took off the forehead shield protector showing the V shaped forehead. His thin eyebrows pointing upwards. were revealed. "It is all going to plan. I just need a ambush to start."

"Are your doors locked?" Tauvle asked.

"Affirmative." Wright said, with a short nod.

"If you get close to anyone, anyone, for that matter . . . " Tauvle said. "This will go to ruins."

"It will not." Wright said.

"And make sure you do not blow your cover," Tauvle said. "I worked too hard to get you in there, brother, just for you to be caught red handed."

"You will prefer if I went to bed with these pair on?" Wright asked, with a raised arched eyebrow.

"They are indestructible," Tauvle said. "They cannot be broken."

Fortunately Wright's blood was red unlike Vulcans, much as it was for Romulans.

"Logical." Wright said, lowering his eyebrow.

"Can you stop speaking like a Vulcan?" Tauvle said.

"Your father was a Vulcan and my mother was a Romulan." Wright said.

"You are a Romulan, damn it, act like you are human!" Tauvle said.

"I find that I have inherited the best part of our heritage," Wright said. "You are more Vulcan than I am. Why do you not embrace it?"

"Because I am the one who's blood is green and have emotions that are more powerful than yours!" Tauvle said. "Do not comment on this matter any further, brother."

"Agreed." Wright said, putting on the disguise along with the ear piece.

* * *

It was easy to act human. Too easy. Other than being plagued by paranoia that he was to be targeted and discovered for what he truly was. The messages were sent, repeatedly, over the course of the few months that he was assigned to the _Enterprise_ for the mission. Wright planted little seeds, here and there, but the _Enterprise_ crew overcame the obstacles. It was irritating to say for the least. Each and every time. How did Captain Kirk and Commander Spock deal with this madness? It was illogical. Maddening.

The messages he got from presumably Commander Spock were not helping.

There were days when he nearly decided to tell the truth, turn himself in, and abandon the plan. However, he would be reminded that it was his duty and the only reason why he is still in the federation is because one knows of his Romulan heritage. No one knew of his Vulcan heritage either, as well. He was reminded by the messages he would find in his inbox followed suit by deleting them. Wright had considered it a duty three years, two months, three days four hours, two minutes, and thirty-eight seconds to aid in the repopulation of his species. Two children who were two years old and a four month old human child. Wright's brother had informed him of the child's arrival and how his wife had sent the little one to Earth. She was waiting for Wright, and plead to Tauvle to request his immediate return so she could have a shoulder to cry on. It was logical in her case to grieve for a child she gave up for adoption (Or sort of ditched at the local fire station and departed Earth under the cloak of night) who she believed she wouldn't raise properly. She did not know how to raise a human child without her mate. They had no idea where the human DNA came from and it was a medical mystery at best.

This was officially the worst assignment: ever.

"McCoy, you didn't-" Sulu started.

"HELL I DO!" McCoy replied, clothed in a dark cloak with a medical bag strapped along his shoulder.

"This planet has a culture identical to the one we encountered four months ago," Sulu said. "You will have to walk naked."

"I don't care." McCoy said.

Wright stepped on the transporter pad finding this conversation at the bit fascinating.

"Mr Scott, make sure the transporter does not have any problems for our return." Sulu said.

"Aye aye, captain." Scotty said.

McCoy came to the right hand side across from the center circular edge where Sulu will stand. Scotty looked over in the direction of Nyota with deep concern on his face. She placed a kiss on the side of Scottu's face, reassuringly, "I will be back before you know it, Monty."

"Get back in one piece." Scotty said, squeezing her hand.

"I will." Nyota said, as though it were a promise.

Scotty let go of Nyota's hand allowing her to leave and his eyes did not leave her slender, healthy figure. Wright then noticed something about the doctor. He had circles under his eyes. There was a 'auto-pilot' attitude about him, but his pose was that of resignation. McCoy closed his eyes with a sigh then he reopened them. McCoy looked over his shoulder with a white face with a expression that Wright could not see.

Wright was loyal to the Romulan Empire.

And to his Vulcan heritage.

Wright's mate, T'Annie, had survived the destruction of their homeworld. He was fortunate unlike his brother. His mate never mate it, except for their twin sons Simok and Styok. Their bonded chosen ones were among the ones to be spared. Tauvle and Wright's parents had died on Vulcan during the evacuation. Their parents did not leave their home. They did not want to be separated or be parted from one another. The brothers felt the sting of their parent's death in their family bond. Vulcan was their home. Their father, Vaurn, had undergone genetic surgery to hide his Romulan half.

"Energize." Sulu said.

Wright will not fail.

* * *

The planet was luxurious, there was a certain aroma to it. The planet had low strided fog. There was a bench with a label that read "DEPOSIT ATTIRE HERE, ONLY TAKE THEM UPON DEPARTURE'. Nyota came along the side of the captain feeling slightly different about herself. McCoy grumbled something to himself about "If Spock were here, he would say the readings here are clear." walking over to the bench then took off the cloak to reveal his fine, attractive body. Including a pulsing erect genital. Wright took his cloak off then folded it and placed it on the bridge.

"Oh my god," Nyota said. "This fog is so. . . compelling."

"Report, Mr Sp-" Sulu stopped himself. He shook his head. McCoy stared at his direction, long and hard, then his attention shifted. "We should have brought Miss Marcus."

"Strange, Sulu's genitals are erect, mine is erect, and yours is just deflated, Mr Wright!" McCoy said.

"I am asexual, McCoy." Wright said.

"Course you are." McCoy said.

" _Alova_!" Came a representative of the civilization along with two protectors who held their long spears that stood out from the fog. _Alova_ meant 'Greetings'. "Welcome, welcome, welcome to our planet Jim Tiveruis Kurk!"

McCoy wanted to scream at the universe. McCoy wanted to curse at it while crying and punching his fist into the ground until his hand was covered in dirt and his hand had ripped out a portion of the grass. McCoy had more self control than to do that. The doctor's eyes had slightly widened at the mention of the planet then he looked over toward Sulu with hurt in his eyes. _WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS EARLIER?_ was plastered all over the doctor's face. Sulu remained calm, too calm. Nyota stepped aside from the captain. Wright was unaffected. There was dead silence coming from the landing party. The compelling fog was overcome by the lingering thought of someone they all knew. The mere recollection of someone close.

"Can we refer to it as Tiveruis, Mr Rak?" Sulu asked.

"Why of course, you are our visitors," Rak said. "Though most of our visitors insist they call it 'Tiveruis'. . ." He saw the look of grief in the doctor's eyes, overall sadness placed among the crew except for Wright, making him stop in his train of thought. "I suppose we can rename it the Tiveruis planet. Come, come, we have much to show you . . . Our deal with the dilithium crystals is prepared to be renegotiated. Our artwork have improved much from the last captain who visited here."

Among the warriors was a woman with blue skin and small circular spots around her body varying in size but most specifically they enlarged in shape when it came to her chest. Wright's eyes dilated, his cheeks began to blush, and his heart was pounding against his chest. The woman's eyes were landed on him and she licked her lips with dilated eyes stared at the direction of the later-to-be traitor.

The landing party followed the small group back to the town.

" _Enterprise_ , eh?" Rak asked.

"That is correct." Sulu said.

"Last time I heard of it, they were throwing the name around for a constitution class starship. We suggested _Sex Drive_." Rak remarked.

"That would have been inappropriate." Sulu said.

"That you are right, captain. . . what is your name?" Rak asked.

"Sulu." Sulu said.

"Captain Sulu," Rak raised an eyebrow. "Not the captain Kirk I heard of highly?"

"He died four months ago." Sulu said.

Rak lowered his eyebrow.

"My apologies. We have a temple for those who are still in mourning. You are more than welcome to attend the mourning temple during negotiations." Rak squeezed the shoulder of Sulu. " _Fla-unt_."

 _Fla-unt_ meant 'Grieve'. Wright was by the side of the female warrior with their hips touching. She looked over toward him with a smile. A seductive smile. Her name was Drevin, daughter of Constantine. Wright smiled back right at her. It simply was odd for the away team. Last time they came upon a culture such as this, they never had come across such a environment like this. Nyota resisted the aroma coming from the thick fog like fixture.

Rak let go of Sulu's shoulder.

"What kind of bag is that?" Vellehelle, a male warrior, asked.

"Medical kit." McCoy replied.

"Interesting," Vellehelle said.

"Mr Rak," Sulu said. "What is this fog?"

"Passion." Rak said.

"Passion?" Sulu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why yes," Rak said. "It makes everyone peaceful and sexually aroused they cannot possibly . . ."

"Then why do you have warriors?" Sulu asked.

"We still hunt our kill with these spears," Came another warrior. "It is very convenient. Our shields are our skin. . . ."

Rak's face darkened and his voice lowered.

"And then there are ones who do not appreciate being on our peaceful hospital planet," Rak continued. "We have laws for that and obey them to the letter."

"Fascinatin'." McCoy found himself muttering.

"Such as?" Sulu said.

"The V forehead ones." Rak said.

"Romulans." Sulu said.

"They are not welcome. They have a death sentence on their heads if they dare come to our planet of peace. We have no room for trouble makers." Rak remarked.

* * *

"You miss your lost one?" Came a grief counselor as Nyota sat the alter of mourning lighting up the candles.

Nyota briefly closed her eyes.

"Dearly." Nyota said.

The grief counselor came over to the young woman placing a hand on her shoulder.

" _Fla-unt."_ The grief counselor said.

" _Kah-zille_." Nyota replied.

 _Kah-zille_ meant 'Thank you' in the Tiveriusian language.

The grief counsel sat down beside Nyota taking her hand off the woman's shoulder.

"Tell me about your lost one," The grief counselor said. "As long as you talk about them, they are not dead. It is tradition to share stories of the lost to keep them alive." Nyota looked over toward the grief counselor. "The doctor, as I have been told, will be joining shortly."

Nyota flicked off the match placing it into the cylinder.

"I was his student," Nyota said. "And he was my professor. . . The first day I came into class . . ."

Nyota talked to the grief counselor. McCoy came to the doors but he stopped mid-way. He leaned against the entrance way looking up toward the sky. The universe was full of many ways to die: phaser, bullet, sharp objects, and transporter. A transporter can beam anyone's pattern all over the galaxy by accident instead of beaming together the atoms and the patterns into the form of a living individual. McCoy was the unlucky one of the crew. It should have been him. Fitting death for his atoms never to come together. Spock and Kirk alive, but shaken, mourning for their confidant. In the end they would have been alive and he would not have been. McCoy sat down with his back to the wall right by the door.

McCoy did not realize he had been crying when he heard Nyota's voice.

"You should talk to the grief counselor, McCoy." Nyota said, relaxed and light weight.

McCoy looked up toward her with red eyes.

"It should have been me." McCoy said.

Nyota smiled, a little, at the doctor.

"Talk to her." Nyota said, then she went past him.

McCoy got up then he opened the door to see a well light but dark church like interior.

"Come." The grief counselor said,standing in front of the alter of mourning.

McCoy went in, willingly, closing the door behind him.

* * *

"Do not shoot the messenger for what is not their fault-"

Wright punched a hole into the wood.

"My mate is dead." Wright said.

The Romulan lowered his head.

"Sadly." The Romulan, being the messenger, said in a low voice.

Wright trembled looking over.

"My children?" Wright asked.

"They are under the care of Tauvle." The messenger said.

"How did she die?" Wright asked, fighting back tears.

Wright had on his disguise.

"I cannot say." The messenger said.

A tear came down Wright's cheek.

"YOU WILL TELL ME!" Wright picked the messenger up by the neck then held him at the edge of a cliff.

"I am just the messenger!" The messenger said.

"TELL ME." Wright demanded.

The messenger gripped Wright's hand trying to make a grip.

"I will let you fall down to your death and I as well will be sent to mine." Wright added.

He was trying to figure out how to get out of this mess as he was accused of being a Romulan by Drevin. The landing party could not do a thing about it but stand by and wait for the return of the 'Romulan'. Wright had seen the look of horror in the eyes of the doctor. Nyota's reaction was unique. It was like her heart had been stabbed multiple times. Sulu, however, showed no fear in the thought of his first officer being killed off. Not even when they started to tow him away. Not even when he managed to escape from their grasp and run for his life.

"She was murdered." The messenger said.

Wright tossed the Romulan against a nearby tree with a defeaning crack following suit as the body collapsed to the ground.

 _Oh shit._

Wright came over to the messenger then knelt down to the the messenger's side seeing the fear in his eyes. The messenger knew what the young hybrid had just done to him. The later-to-be traitor took the hand of the fallen messenger. Wright was no telepathic nor was he skilled in it. He looked down sadly, but apologetically, toward the messenger. The two heard the sounds of the posse gaining speed started by "I heard them!" in Tivursian.

"Jolan tru." The messenger said.

Wright held his hand up making the Vulcan salute.

"Live long and prosper." Wright said.

"I grieve with thee." The messenger said, with some familiarity to the Vulcan phrase.

Wright let go of the messenger's hand then stepped away.

"I found my Romulan who framed me!" Wright shouted.

Wright did not dare share a glance toward the messenger as the posse arrived to retrieved the paralyzed messenger.

* * *

Drevin changed her story after seeing the Romulan and went into full detail: how she refused the messenger's advances, how he pinned her against the wall, and how he took advantage of her. The story disgusted Rak, thankfully the landing party wasn't there to hear the story. Wright explained he had been taking a swim in the nearby lake to relax himself and get the recent chain of events off his shoulders. They believed him. After the short trial Wright approached Drevin making the comment, "Pay back sex, now." And this time he didn't take off the disguise. Drevin wanted to believe he was a human. So he let her.

Wright's heart ached for T'Annie.

Once Nyota stepped off the transporter, she fell into the arms of Scotty.

"Welcome back, Nyota." Scotty said.

The negotiations had been successful.

"As I said before," Sulu said. "McCoy, the transporter is not going to malfunction on us anytime soon."

Though a certain Romulan's head was chopped off.

"I wish it would!" McCoy said, shifting his weight then stepped forward on the balls of his toes.

It was a interesting quirk according to Wright. Nyota had a tendency to shake her long gorgeous hair stuck in a pony tail from side to side, Chekov would mutter a Russian phrase when he was getting something fixed or unstuck, Scotty tended to rub his chin while sitting down in the chair contemplating how to figure a problem out and talk to Freenser at once, and Sulu would usually talk about plants when he was not on shift (And the manner he spoke on something dangerous and threatening was calm and unalarmed, which made him a great captain but the hell it annoyed McCoy). The security guards would boldly go into a dangerous situation and end up dying.

Wright started calling them red shirts because anyone who had a red shirt on during a mission would die. Wright was not surprised to hear there were suicides occurring aboard the starship. Wright walked off the transporter pad with his cloak on. He had noticed the doctor was still on auto-pilot although his shoulders appeared as though they were light. Nyota's grief and misery had visibly been taken away or melted away to be precise. Scotty's shoulders had relaxed. Nyota cupped the side of Scotty's face as Wright departed the transporter room heading down the hallway.

"Hold up,Mr RIGHT-ASS, you still have a cut to be treated!" McCoy shouted, following after Wright.


	4. Chapter 4

"This is acting Captain James T. Kirk." Came the sight of a familiar face. "We are willing to negotiate the return of Captain Sulu-"

"I have the captain of your ship and her commanding officer," Koloth, captain of _The Force_ , had said. "I believe that constitutes as that you have been defeated."

"I don't believe in no-win scenarios." Kirk said.

"Haven't you been dead for two years?" Koloth asked.

Kirk stared through the screen long and hard.

"That is not true." Kirk said.

"True as in seeing you in his quarters shortly after your death," Koloth said. "That I did. I saw you. You were a ghost. Dead. And how does a fine young warrior come back from the grave? Tell us," Koloth leaned forward, hands on the arm rest, with a grin. "Tell us. What is your secret? Are you immortal?" Kirk was unable to respond. "So you are!"

Kirk had a short laugh followed by a smile and a roll of his shoulders.

"No," Kirk said. "Transporter malfunction. That is all." Now it was his turn to smirk. "You have a Romulan aboard your ship."

"Romulans have no place on our ship," Koloth said. "And we are very certain there is none."

"Well," Kirk said. "I do not want a war to be brewing because some Romulan disguised himself as a human and became the first officer who initiated this entire conflict." Kirk shook his hand. "I have a science officer who survived the attack you put on the planet. According to our currently bed-rest science officer, Mr Wright was acting very suspicious. In fact, he managed to fire the first shot. Tried to kill the science officer but he couldn't. So she pretended to be dead."

"What kind of name is that?" Koloth said.

"A generally unique name, Koloth," Kirk pressed a button on the arm rest, took a apple out, and had a bite from it. Kirk chewed then swallowed. "I would most certainly want a entire war to be started over a dishonorable Romulan agent wanting to cause war between Star Fleet and your kind. If at all, I want no war with you. If you hand over Captain Sulu and Commander Wright we will forget about this."

Koloth narrowed his eyes.

"That was our territory." Koloth said.

Kirk took another bite of the apple, chewed, then swallowed.

"Still upset over the tribbles we left you with?" Kirk asked.

"That was a victorious day." Koloth said, with pride.

Kirk smirked.

"You were defeated." Kirk reminded Koloth.

"We killed a thousand tribbles!" Koloth said.

"Which isn't victorious." Kirk said.

"They died in honor." Koloth said.

"Okay," Kirk shook his hand. "How about you go see Mr Wright?"

* * *

Scotty noticed something different about the transporter console.

It indicated there was a life form still in it.

"Scotty tae the bridge." Scotty said.

"Yes, Mr Scott?" Came Kirk's voice.

"There is some deficiencies about the transporter I would like tae speak with you about."

There was a pause.

"Captain?" Came Spock's voice.

"I have an idea," Kirk said. "I will speak with you right away, Scotty. Kirk out."

* * *

"I have known what you were two years," Sulu said. "You spoke in Romulan with a Romulan refugee was a dead give away." They were cuffed, in the same quarters. "I thought spending time on my ship would change your mind." Wright looked over in shock at the direction of the man. "I was convinced you were different when you saved my life three months ago. That you had decided to serve the Enterprise rather than the Romulan empire."

"You honestly believed a Romulan/Vulcan hybrid would fall for your ship of chance?" Wright said.

"It worked for many." Sulu said.

"They weren't me." Wright said.

"How did you get that Romulan extra?" Sulu asked.

"He was a messenger." Wright said.

"Sent to give you a oral message?" Sulu asked.

"That he was." Wright said.

"You sent a innocent Romulan to his death for rape." Sulu said.

"It was consensual," Wright said. "She lied once she saw him. What she had said originally was true."

"Well, I'll be damned." Sulu said, glaring a hole at the forehead of Wright.

"I also knew the captain and the commander were alive in the transporter," Wright said, in a low voice. "At night I would be plagued by the sights of captain Kirk, sitting down at the edge of the bed, and staring off into the window. I would lean up, call him out, and turn the lights on. When the lights were on, he would be gone. For two years I kept the light on."

"He wasn't dead." Sulu said.

"I believe in the supernatural," Wright said. "And that was a ghost."

Sulu shook his head.

"I saw him alive," Sulu said. "And you saw him too."

"Then does not explain what I saw for two months." Wright said.

"Ever heard of living spirit?" Sulu asked.

"No." Wright said.

"It is when a spirit of a individual comes and haunts others," Sulu said. "Some people speculate it possibly a side effect of those who are emphatic, mediums drawing spirits releasing their excessive energy that goes where they wish to be (often times) or just some where random, and some just discard it as the manifestation of energy that cannot be explained taking on the form of someone alive."

There was a pause.

"Are you not angry at me?" Wright asked.

"I _am_ angry at you," Sulu said. "You could had a lengthy and long career in Star Fleet. You could have deflected the Romulan's and I could have forgiven you for coming to me. That's what humans do, Mr Wright, and you nailed the qualities of humanity down to a tea. I _trusted_ you! You broke that trust with me. I don't know how Star Fleet will handle your return if you ever do come back. Your career would be over. You would be thrown back to your own kind to face your superiors for failing. And if you had a possibility of returning to Star Fleet, I would give a letter of reference regarding your service."

Wrighth had a bewildered expression about his face.

"But my career is a lie," Wright said. "I can _not_ continue my life that way. This is my one and only mission. My first and last. For I am sure it has failed." He looked over Sulu as the sound of Klingon bootsteps approached the brig. "If I had been born on the other side of this issue,as a human, I would have been honored to serve aboard the _Enterprise_." Sulu appeared to be touched, at first. "But instead? It has been the most illogical, and insane assignment I ever had."

The red electrical wall vanished.

"Live long and prosper." Wright made the Vulcan salute toward Sulu.

The Klingon forced Wright up and towed him out of the room with the electrical field coming up.

* * *

"Jim, that is mad!" McCoy said.

"It is quite a logical decision." Spock noted.

"Stop agreein' with Jim for once!" McCoy exclaimed.

"That is impossible as this is the most logical situation I will ever find myself agreeing on with the captain."

McCoy sighed.

"Damn it, Jim." McCoy said.

"You two have my blessing," The two were unable to reply following the captain. "If you get married! Besides, I approve my two best friends getting together! The best of both worlds. Vulcan and humanity working out their differences together. And besides, it is plainly obvious," The three walked into the transporter room. Scotty appeared to a have a unsure expression on his face at first but then it turned to certainty. Kirk turned in the direction of the two with a stop and a grin on his face. "I will be fine, Bones." Kirk slapped McCoy's shoulder. "Just a quick beam up."

"The planet will be destroyed in five minutes, captain." Spock said.

"Perfect." Kirk said.

"Chaos," McCoy said, with dismay. Then his face turned into realization. "Jim, wait, five minutes can mean-" Spock applied the nerve pinch to McCoy.

The man fell into his arms.

"Take care of him, will you?" Kirk asked. "When I am not there. That's the only thing I ask of you."

Spock could only nod.

"That is a suicide mission, captain," Spock said. "And I must protest against it as your first officer."

Kirk walked on to the transporter pad with one hand on the sheath that had a blade in it.

"Your concerns have been noted,Spock," Kirk said. Kirk winked. "I will be back before you know it. Get Bones out of here." Spock went out of the transporter room. Kirk looked over toward Scotty, with the utmost certainty and trust in him. "Beam me down, Scotty."

Scotty slid up the bars and he watched the captain vanish in a golden haze.

* * *

Sulu walked onto the bridge with panic not on his face.

"Take us out of orbit," Sulu sat down into the captain's chair. "Shields up, and don't drop them. Get us out of here."

 _The Force_ sent a red phaser blast at the fleeing _Enterprise_.

The planet exploded sending debris crashing into The Force destroying it completely leaving scrap and remains floating in space. They continued at warp for twenty-two minutes. Sulu had a sigh of relief once hearing the report they were not being followed. "Take us out of warp." Sulu looked over toward the turbo lift, almost as though expecting for Kirk to come in, then tell him how they fooled the Klngons. Kirk did not come. A look of confusion came on Sulu's face as he turned his head away from the turbo lift. He looked over in the direction of Spock. Carol was recovering in Med Bay from the injuries she had suffered. The Vulcan had briefly closed his eyes, emotionlessly, with a sigh.

"In exchange for your life," Spock said. "Captain Kirk had to give Captain Koloth a fair fight on the dying planet."

"Did he get beamed out?" Sulu asked, concerned.

"Negative." Spock said.

". . . Dead." Sulu said.

"Negative." Spock said.

Sulu raised an eyebrow and Chekov also raised an eyebrow.

"But you just said-" Sulu started to say but was cut off by Spock.

"He is not dead." Spock said.

Sulu lowered his eyebrow visibly puzzled.

"How do you know that,Mr Spock?" Sulu said.

"Simple, captain," Spock said. "Kirk and I have a psychic connection."


	5. Chapter 5

"You cannot kill a ghost." Kirk said standing by the side of the injured Klingon captain.

"What do you mean?" Koloth asked.

"Ghosts cannot die." Kirk said.

"I am aware of that, but. . ." Koloth felt around the injury into his chest. "That is . . . so vague."

Kirk lowered down to Koloth's level with a smirk.

"Haven't you noticed I am unhurt?" Kirk asked.

Koloth noticed his dagger was on the ground beside Kirk's shoe as the molten flames around him were growing and the ground was trembling beneath him. The once blue sky was cloaked in a dark, heavy fog. Dead trees tumbled down into the darkness. Kirk was the only one of the two who were standing still unaffected. The black shirt had visible holes in it. But when Koloth stared into those crystal blue eyes he saw there was no life in them. In fact Koloth saw through Kirk into the firing inferno going on around him. Kirk's smirk had turned into a smile. A terrifying smile. Koloth had been unaware humans could smile that wide.

"You . . ." Koloth was stunned.

Kirk saluted.

"Toodles." Kirk said, then he vanished into thin air.

The ground beneath Koloth gave out.

" **KIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRKKKKKKK**!"

* * *

"You see, we didn't really get his organic body out," Scotty said. "We got Mr Spock's pattern and physical body out. But nae Mr Kirk."

"A good example of a living ghost." Sulu remarked.

"But . . . But. . . I treated him." McCoy was close to Spock. "The kid was too real."

"What about his physical state?" Nurse Chapel asked.

"I believe he might nae be the same as he was when he first appeared with Mr Spock," Scotty said. "That is why I asked for you and the doctor tae come. He might nae be well."

"Beam him in." Sulu said.

In a golden haze appeared a wet, shivering, and blanketless male figure with wet hair and bright blue eyes rubbing the sides of his shoulders looking around. He had a tattoo in the shape of the _Enterprise_ on his thigh. His soft, bright blue eyes landed on McCoy and Spock. He noticed, with dizzy and at best blurry vision, somehow, that their fingers were intertwined together. Spock had on a dark shirt instead of a blue shirt with one hand behind his back. Now why was his first officer out of uniform?

A smile grew on the young man's face.

"What 'sup, Spones?" Kirk said. "G-g-got any b-b-blankets around t-t-t-o spare?"

Kirk collapsed to the floor landing on the edge of the transporter pad unconscious.

* * *

"Technically, you have been dating for two years," Kirk said. "Besides,you have been bickering like a old married couple!"

"We are not old." Spock said.

"And we don't bicker like a married couple, damn it!" McCoy said.

"No can do, I am doing the ceremony and you are going to thank me for it." Kirk said.

Kirk walked away.

"We are eleven hours from the nearest star base!" McCoy said. "You are _not_ goin' to wed us!"

"Bite me!" Came Kirk's reply.

"He will make us go through it despite our protests," Spock said. "I suggest we give in and let the task be easier."

"Then you're goin' to insist for that what-the-hell-you-call-it." McCoy said.

"Bonding ceremony." Spock said.

McCoy snapped his fingers.

"Yes that!" McCoy said.

Kirk shook his head getting out of ear shot.

He had memories of a time that hadn't been. Mostly Spock Prime's memories. There were many fond memories of him arguing with the doctor who looked much different and older, with Kirk Prime often times in-between them making their argument come to a cease-fire. His counterpart was like a theater actor, staccato speaking style, and his hands moved whenever he spoke as though he were telling a story (which was never the case). In his minds eye, Spock Prime and McCoy Prime shared a relationship like his Spock and Bones including with his counterpart. His Spones bickered like a married couple.

At least that is what he called Spock and McCoy for short as a couple.

He was going to arrange the fastest and quickest, wedding: _ever_.

"Mind melds are common for Vulcan marriages." Spock continued to explain.

"THIS IS A HUMAN MARRIAGE, SPOCK!" McCoy replied.

Nyota was getting a kick out of herself as the halls of the _Enterprise_ trembled from the argument.

"I see." Came Spock's calm, monotonous voice.

"AND SINCE I'M AT IT, NO FORCED MIND MELDS! NONE OF THEM IN OUR MARRIAGE!" McCoy finished.

There was a long pause.

"Since when were you in a forced mind meld?" Spock asked.

There was silence.

"Doctor, you must tell me immediately who did this to you. Mind rape is a crime." Spock said.

"You with a goatee mind raped me when we were on the _ISS Enterprise_ three years ago." McCoy finally said.

"I understand your resistance against Vulcan marriage," Spock said. "If there is any damage with your mind due to my counterparts forced mind meld, you are welcome to ask for my help to repair it. You were always welcome to tell me." The Vulcan took McCoy by the man's shoulders, squeezing them, looking down toward him endearingly. "I do not know how you kept this from me."

"It wasn't important." McCoy said.

"It is important to _me_." Spock said, as his grip loosened and one hand placed on the side of the older man's face.

McCoy looked up toward Spock taking in all the youthful details of the face he was staring at. One day, he will lose Spock: forever. That face will be the only thing he will have to cling onto like hell and cherish and hate and love at the same time. One day his memories will degrade to the point that this face will be the only one he will be able to recall among others. A Vulcan's face can stand through time. Why not the memory of the Vulcan? If anything, McCoy would prefer remembering this sincere endearing expression on Spock's face. McCoy took the hand of the Vulcan squeezing it.

The Vulcan brought the man into a kiss.

* * *

Kirk memories of what had happened over the past three days had returned.

"Kirk . . ."

"Sulu, you are the best man for this job." Kirk said, straightening out his bowtie.

"But I allowed a Romulan!" Sulu protested.

Kirk turned away from the mirror.

"Sulu, what makes a great captain is to make mistakes and learn from them," Kirk said. "Hell, I admire you for what you tried to do. You are going to come across people like Wright: people who pretend to be someone they are not. And people like Spock: loyal to a fault." Kirk placed one hand on the man's shoulder. "This is my last act as captain. To officiate the wedding of my two best friends."

"You did a better job than I did." Sulu said.

Kirk smiled, taking his hand off Sulu's shoulder.

"It was super convenient that I wasn't really out of the transporter." Kirk said.

"How long did you know?" Sulu said.

"I didn't feel pain after Bones hypod me. I usually felt pain but this time I did not." Kirk said.

"I married Chekov." Sulu said.

"He is lucky to have you. What was your pick up line?" Kirk asked.

"I have a plant that was genetically made in Russia." Sulu said.

Kirk laughed.

"I don't know how you got your hands on it, Mr. . . Which one of you took the other's last name?" Kirk asked.

"Niether of us took the others last name," Sulu said. "On a landing party, we may have . . . ." He paused. "Had one of us be turned into a woman and be left that way for nine months."

"Aww,congrats!" Kirk said.

"Thank you," Sulu said. "We had to reverse the gender change as soon as we had Demora's little brother Rocky. I am intending to spend some family time on Earth."

"You did not just name a kid after Rocky Balboa." Kirk said.

"Balboa?" Sulu asked.

"Legendary underdog in the boxing ring," Kirk said. Sulu had a confused expression. "The one with the black guy who wanted to defeat him."

Sulu paused.

"Oh, the man who represented America during the toughest decades." Sulu said.

"Uh huh." Kirk said.

"We did have problems with the baby in the womb. One day he had no legs,another day he had tumors in his head and then they were gone days later, and another time his legs were coming from his back side, another time he had four arms. I swear, our child was preparing to give us our personal hell for when he came out. He should have named him Matilda instead of Rocky."

"Did he say Rocky III was made in Russia?" Kirk asked.

"At one point during the pregnancy he did." Sulu said.

The two men laughed.

"I am really happy for you two." Kirk said.

"Thank you." Sulu said.

"As captain of the _Enterprise_ , your duty is to be Spock's best man. And mine?" Kirk said. "Is to make it official they are married."

"We all knew they were hitting on each other." Sulu said.

Kirk nodded.

"Keep up the good work, captain." Kirk left the dressing room.

* * *

"I am your best man, Mr Spock." Sulu said.

"You wear the suit well." Spock commented.

"Now, if your father had to walk you-" McCoy started but Spock cut him off.

"My father would, logically, reject it," Spock said. "Walking ones son down the aisle is emotional."

"Did you just hint your father is emotional." McCoy said.

"Negative," Spock said. "I have only pointed out the obvious. Vulcans do not associate themselves to emotion."

"Then. . . who will give you away?" McCoy said.

"I will!" Nyota said, with a beaming smile.

"Logically." Spock said.

McCoy shook his head then went into the room. The doors closed behind him. Nyota reached her arm out with a smirk on her face. Not every day did a ex-girlfriend have the opportunity to give her ex-boyfriend away. Their arms interlocked together. Nyota was in a purple dress with a silver necklace around her neck. They were three hours and five minutes away away from the nearest star base with other officers at their stations on the bridge. Nyota and Spock walked into the room to hear beautiful emotional wedding music. There was even a piano being played by Chekov who was singing in Russian. There were holographic balloons floating around the place with two pigeons on the arch cuddled together. Spock did not mind. There was a long red carpet dotted by petals of all color: yellow and pink to name a few. There were some other junior grade officers sitting down in the chairs (at least the ones who had stuck around for the past two years and knew these two well) such as Nurse Chapel and Doctor M'Benga. Nurse Chapel wiped off a tear using a handkerchief.

Kirk was in the middle of the arch, grinning with McCoy by his side. Freenser was the one across from McCoy holding a small pillow with a set of rings. Spock dozed out of the zone while walking down the long carpet. Nyota was both excited and happy for Spock. Scotty was in the front seat. Nyota came to a stop then let go of Spock and went over to the left hand side of the room across from McCoy where Nurse Chapel and Nurse Hollowetz stood beaming. Chekov was sitting down in a chair holding the sleeping one year old Rocky in his arms in the front row across from Spock.

"We are here to celebrate the monumentus occasion that has been three, four, maybe five or more years in the waking," Kirk said. "It is because of me that you two were able to meet and I am more than happy to officiate this union. It started in 2258, a year we will never forget," McCoy had a sigh, exasperatedly. "And if it weren't for me. They wouldn't be alive to be standing here. I am proud to have been the shared factor. Their . . . Sheldon Cooper!"

Some of the officers laughed except for Spock and McCoy (Who's face was quickly turning red).

"Who is Sheldon Cooper?" Spock asked.

"Scientist." McCoy said.

"Bones, your vows." Kirk said.

McCoy sighed.

"I am only doing this because Jim insists," McCoy said. "When I first met Spock, he did what was honestly right. Except for ejectin' Jim out of the _Enterprise_ right into a arctic climate. We had our disagreements and then I found myself fallin' like hell for you. You, the one and irreplaceable Vulcan, Spock. I love you." The words landed with a touched expression on Spock's usually stoic face. "I promise, that as long as I am alive, I will remind you that you are half human. That you have humanity. To be there in sickness or in your darkest hour. I will be there for you tomorrow and the tomorrow after that. To make sure you are still alive to give me grief. I will be there for you as long as you are with me. Your heart is in the right place, sort of," McCoy patted on his side. "You may insist you are a emotionless cold hearted Vulcan but you are no emotionless pointy eared computer to me! You are a man, Spock! Always have been to me."

Kirk rubbed at his eye.

"Are you all right?" Spock asked, looking over to Kirk.

"Just have something in my eye." Kirk said, his eyes a little moist. Kirk flashed a smile toward Spock. "Your turn!"

"Bones. Leonard. McCoy." Spock said. "There are many names one can call their beloved. Darling is one of them. For as long as I live, I will be there for you, apart but never parted. Much as we argue and give each other a headache: I will not cease to find you and your character lovable. I will be there for you. I will grow old with you for as long as you live. Visit Georgia whenever you are likened to. There are many names for a person to call their beloved. I am honored to be the one to call you, a human, my spouse." Tears were starting to come down Kirk's cheeks. "I believe that due to our wedding it means there will be two McCoy's walking around. Doctor McCoy and Commander McCoy." McCoy found himself smiling. "I love you, too."

"Rings, please." Kirk said, wiping off the tears.

Freenser handed the rings to the two.

"Spock, will you take Leonard as your lawfully wedded husband?" Kirk asked.

"Affirmative." Spock said.

"Leonard, do you take Mr Spock as your lawfully wedded husband?" Kirk asked.

"Yes!" McCoy said.

"You may now exchange rings and kiss the grooms." Kirk said.

The two exchanged rings, then McCoy threw the bouquet over his shoulder. McCoy was the one who started the kiss taking Spock by surprise with one hand behind his head and the other hand on his back making the Vulcan bend backwards. There were cheers all over the room so the doves flew off heading toward the doorway where they vanished into thin air before they made it to the steel doors. Carol reached her hand out catching the bouquet. Chekov stood up with the one year old over his shoulder clapping his hands in approval. Little Rocky's eyes opened to see people clapping (and hearing them do so). The little boy started to cry.

McCoy straightened upwards taking his hand off the back of Spock's neck.

"Want to spend the rest of the three hours in my quarters?" McCoy asked.

The edges of Spock's mouth twitched.

"Negative," Spock said. "We have two hours to waste."

McCoy smiled as the two strolled down the aisle.

* * *

Two hours felt like a eternity saying farewell, and then making it to the transporter. Carol Marcus had mentioned she was going to request a reassignment to a different starship due to reasons unknown and Spock would resume his duties. Kirk had a lot to catch up on for a guy who has been so called dead for two years. He had to visit his brother's family, meet them, and give them his condolences and be a genuine uncle. He never knew his brother had started a family so it was shock hearing it from Pike.

Kirk appeared on the transporter pad to the starbase.

Sarek was beside Winona with three capable of walking toddlers sticking close to them save for the two Vulcans copying their father's pose (or at least attempting to). They had a full wat of hair. Steven had blonde hair and human ears. Sporn had a face similar to Steven except for those eyebrows and ears but had a hair style similar to his sister as they had matching dark hair cut much like a Vulcan. Kirk stepped off the transporter pad with a welcoming attitude.

"Hey mom!" Kirk said, walking away from the transporter. "Nice to see you are with someone I approve of!"

Steve let go of Winona's dress then hurried onwards toward Kirk,

"Brother!" Steve landed on Kirk's leg wrapping his arm around the pantleg as though he would never let go.

"Hey little man," Kirk picked up the little boy into his arms. Steven had hazel eyes. "You are soo lucky to have those eyes." He poked at the little boy's nose earning a little giggle. "Mom, that is the cutest giggle I ever heard."

"Sporn and T'Flen, meet your older brother James." Winona said.

"You look different from how mother talked about you," T'Flen said. "Shouldn't you be a little older?"

Kirk beamed.

"You will find most certainly illogical," Kirk said. Sarek, Sporn,and T'Flen's eyebrows rose up at the same time. "I am sure Spock will explain it in the most logical way."

"My wife, will you give me some privacy with Spock?" Sarek asked.

"Yes, my husband," Winona said. "Jim, children, come with me."

The group left the transporter room right as two golden figures appeared on the transporter pad. Little Steven babbled, a lot, for a two year old. The little Vulcans were already speaking at the age of two and as was Steven. It was quite fascinating really to see his little siblings speaking younger than they should. Most two year olds would be speaking small, but short meaningful sentences that meant a lot to their growing brain. Kirk was sure McCoy and Spock had informed the elder of their marriage. Because the next he knew was that his mother asked him to baby sit his siblings while Winona and Sarek beamed down to a planet together to a enjoy a night out. She wouldn't say what but Kirk was sure it would involve a back massage and a good sun burn earned from sitting on a chair at a beach.

Kirk tucked the little ones to bed after a night of playing.

The doors opened.

"How are the kids?" McCoy asked.

Kirk was in his PJ's.

"Fast asleep," Kirk said, appearing to be worn out. "So how did Sarek take it?"

"He approved." McCoy said.

Kirk sat down into the desk chair.

"Approved?" Kirk repeated, surprised.

McCoy nodded.

"I was surprised, really," McCoy said. "For a Vulcan he was remarkably acceptin' of it. For some reason I thought he would not be acceptin' of it." He sat down into the chair across from Kirk. Kirk took out a bottle of bourbon from a drawer underneath the desk then took out two pairs of glass and poured them both a drink. "Must be me or somethin'."

"Sarek Prime would not have approved." Kirk said.

"Sarek Prime?" McCoy asked.

"Spock Prime left me some memories of his timeline." Kirk said.

" _Jim_." McCoy said, eying the man.

"All of them." Kirk took a sip then placed it down. "Every. One." He looked up toward McCoy. "I intended for the transporter to go malfunction when I was returning." McCoy froze. "From the planet. I was the one who requested a engineer to rig it specifically to mine. I wanted to alter my fate so I did it. And I think I am doing a good job altering it to how I see fit."

"You intentionally screwed up the transporter at the speed of light!" McCoy said.

Kirk frowned.

"Noo," Kirk said. "I only asked for the transporter beaming process to become slower."

"Which is the speed of light. Were you intending to be in there forever?" McCoy said.

"I expected ten years to pass and then someone eventually discovering what I did. Not forever. Spock wasn't supposed to be with me," Steve was standing at the doorway listening into the conversation rubbing his eyes. "If at all. . . I did not want him to be stuck with me!" Kirk took another sip. "I was intending to screw up my fate. Make the poster boy reputation backfire. Have Spock be the one making history with you by his side. It was a perfect plan."

"It wasn't perfect." McCoy took a sip.

"Please, when you tell Spock, just tell him when the ship is far away from this starbase." Kirk said.

McCoy looked over to see a tired little boy heading back to bed with the door closing behind him.

"Well, Jim," McCoy said. "It seems you ave been overheard by a siblin'. I can't keep this from Spock for lon'."

"You are my best friend," Kirk said. "In any timeline. You are my best friend. Don't tell everyone, please."

There was a pause between the two. McCoy took a sip of the glass then he lowered the cup to the table.

"The _Enterprise_ is leaving in thirty-two minutes." McCoy said.

"I trust the suicide rate is going to take a nose dive with Spock on board." Kirk said.

"Jim, I do not believe you know this, but you are a beacon of hope," McCoy said. "Wherever you go, you uplift people and you make them better than what they had been before! Look what you did to us." McCoy gestured over toward his chest with a finger. "You changed me for the best. And Spock. And everyone else you touch. Did the memories of your counterpart reflect that, Jim? Look at all those people you helped. Just you. In this timeline."

"It seems pointless to do everything twice, missions and all," Kirk said. "We never came across Khan in the first year. So I am sure that Spock won't die."

"We did not meet Khan when you were gone." McCoy said.

Kirk smiled.

"Toast to Spock being alive." Kirk said, holding the glass up.

McCoy and Kirk's glass clunk together.

"Just how much do you remember of your other self?" MmcCoy asked.

"Getting bald, getting a toupee,getting old, and I am pretty sure he was in a relationship with Spock Prime and McCoy Prime." Kirk said.

"Well. . ." McCoy said.

"They were so. . . happy together. More than friends." Kirk sighed. "Right now I am forging my own destiny and life." He leaned back into the chair. "I was just assigned to the Genesis project with Carol Marcus. We are going to search for a planet suitable for the project to take place on. Carol is the only person I know from the Enterprise who is assigned among other names. I am assigned to a small starship. The _Excalibur_."

"How small?" McCoy asked.

"Bigger than Mudd's starship. But smaller than the _Enterprise_." Kirk said.

"You will find happiness in your life," McCoy said, earning a smile from the man. "I do not doubt it."

McCoy took a sip of the glass.

"I am not going down with my ship in the end," Kirk said. "I am going to die with people I know or not at all."

"But Spock told me-" McCoy started but is cut off by Kirk.

"If I am going to die alone then that will have to hold off," Kirk said, with a familiar cocky grin. "Because I am going to live forever until the people I care about are there when I am going to die." Kirk took a sip of his cup then stood up. "Bones . . . You are like a father I never had. I am glad I was able to meet you in the academy because the other me didn't meet you during those golden years. I have a little brother to comfort. What I told Spock? Forget about it. Because when I am alone, I will never truly die. In fact, long as people remember me, I am never dead. Alive, but in memories. I suppose that is how Old Spock keeps his lovers close to him."

There was silence.

"I will send you letters," McCoy said. "Don't die on Spock and I."

Kirk smiled.

"I have one hundred plus years to exploit," Kirk said, then took a drink and stood up placing the cup down to the table. "I am not intending to die anytime soon."

That comment made McCoy smile. Kirk went into the bedroom of his siblings. He came to the chair set beside Steven's bed where he had a sigh, rubbing his hands together. The door was closed. How would he explain to a child a choice he made? Kirk had a sigh, dumbfounded how to tell a child. He had told the children of scientists that their parents were dead and aided them to grieve and no longer be afraid of the entity that took part in their parent's death. Just the way his counterpart did.

"Why did you intentionally leave?" Steven asked.

"Because I had to." Kirk said.

"I do not understand." Steve's eyes were poised in the direction of Kirk.

"I had to go my own away. I had to go away for awhile." Kirk said.

"So you went on vacation." Steven said.

"Affirmative, but . . . A friend went with me and we were stuck together. I regret taking him with me." Kirk said.

"How was vacation?" Steven asked.

"Not bad." Kirk said.

"Mother told me about your father." Steven said.

"He was a great man." Kirk said.

"You are better than him." Steven said.

Kirk raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, how so?" Kirk asked.

"You've saved more than eight hundred people. I heard you saved five planets while 'negotiating' with a omniscient emperor." Steven said.

Kirk smiled at first, upon the little boy.

"His name was Trelane and he was not a omniscient emperor. He was a child. Spoiled. He was a young man with the mind of a child." Kirk said.

"I am not growing up to be like that man." Steven said.

"No, you won't. Not on my watch." Kirk shared a wink.

"Tell me a story." Steven said.

 _Once upon a time . . . There was a little boy, ten years old, driving down the road listening to a song. What song? I don't really know. But in the back seat was a Vulcan with his arms folded. The Vulcan boy raised his head up from the backseat, unfazed, but looked over to see a police officer driving after them. He turned his head away then leaned forward from the seat then said, 'Jamie, we are being chased by the authorities.'_

 _The boy turned his head away with a smile, 'Spock, we're gonna lose him!'_

 _Spock looked in the direction of what was apparently a cliff side._

 _'No, are our parents are going to lose us, logically, if you do not drive out of the ravine's pathway in exactly five point sixty three seconds.'Jamie wasn't buckled in. Period. He was daring to be killed! He had a death-wish, Spock would later say, and a knack for trouble!_

Steven's eyes slowly began to close.

 _The boy tossed a phone over his shoulder driving onwards._

 _'You are more than welcome to nerve pinch me or jump out of the car, Spock.' Jamie said._

 _'You are living too dangerously, I calculate there being a chance of your premature death. You must turn around and turn yourself into the police,' Spock replied.'It is only logical.'_

 _Jamie rolled his eyes._

 _'Logical my ass!' Jamie replied._

 _ **Va-varrom**_ _went the wheels and the engine, but mostly the car as it tipped upwards._

 _'WOOOHOOO!' Jamie shouted._

 _The Vulcan unbuckled himself then went into the passenger seat alongside the drivers chair._

 _'You are a illogical and irrational child.' Spock said._

 _'And you are still with me, buddy! That says a lot!' Jamie said. 'Most Vulcan kids won't befriend a trouble maker like me.'_

 _There was a pause._

 _'I am half human, captain.' Spock said._

 _'I am not a captain!' Jamie said. 'Can you stop calling me that? We're not pretending to be captain and commander.'_

 _'I am here because I am a friend and concerned for your safety.' Spock said._

 _'Yeah? THEN GET OUT OF THE CAR, Spock!' Jamie said._

 _'Illogical.' Spock said._

 _The police motorcyclist came to a stop reporting in a possible car crash._

 _'Hey, Spock, I need two hands to drive!' Jamie said, panicked._

 _'It would be illogical to go alone.' Spock said, in a cold and emotionless voice. 'We go together or not at all.'_

 _Jamie felt tears at the edge of his eyes._

 _'You are lucky a Kirk is supposed to die sacrificing himself, dumb ass.' Jamie said._

 _He pedaled to the metal and the silver mustang flew over the ravine._

 _The car landed on both tires._

 _'Illogical.' Spock said, letting go of Jamie's hand._

 _'Lets go get some smoothies!' Jamie said._

 _'I would prefer if you turned yourself in.' Spock said._

 _Jamie stuck his tongue out._

 _'Nah, you don't. You enjoy the thrill. Now who's the one who came to the kid fleeing his abusive uncle and offered a hand to hijack a car?' Jamie asked._

 _Spock stared at Jamie._

 _'I was unaware you were running away,' Spock said. 'If he is abusive, you must report this, children services-'_

 _'Don't. My uncle has friends in high places. I am not going back. Ever.' Jamie said._

 _'I find that hard to do. Never ever coming back to your home state.' Spock_ _said._

 _'I am dropping you off at a gas station. You don't need to be on the run. Wait, why are you even sticking around?' Jamie asked._

 _'Because you are not biased of my human half.' Spock said._

 _Jamie smiled._

 _'That is what friends are for.' Jamie said._

Steven's eyes closed.

"And Uncle Fred was tried for abuse. The End." Kirk said.

Kirk got up from the chair requesting the computer to turn the lights down. Kirk walked out of the room then he picked up the half way full cups and dumped them into the sink. McCoy was long gone by now returning to the _Enterprise_. Instead of feeling sad, Kirk felt happy and delighted. He was going his own way. Creating his fate. His father would be proud of him for doing that. He put away the cups and the bottle. Kirk walked into the spare bedroom where there was a wide screen attached to the wall. There was a console on the table that was basically a easy to use dial. There was a desk in front of the screen and a bed right across from it. Perhaps he should contact the old Spock and tell him how everything is going to be fine, a bit with some adjustments. How Kirk would be part of genesis to ensure it would end right. How he would make sure it would not fall into the wrong hands. Carol Marcus is going to have a helping hand

Kirk set in the contact number on the blue glowing screen then he tapped on wide, large screen glowed to life to display a familiar, seventy year old man, staring back scowling at Kirk's direction. A smile grew on Kirk's face recognizing this man as the one and only counterpart to his McCoy. How did Spock Prime manage to bring the dead back to life was beyond the young man's compensation. The blue eyes and brown hair that had grayed. The man was in his damn prime. Perhaps his McCoy will age gracefully as McCoy Prime had. At least Spock Prime wouldn't die alone.

There was a distinctive 'DAMN IT, JIM' facial expression on the older man's face.

"What 'sup, Bones Prime?" Kirk asked.

 **The End**.


End file.
